Welcome to Boston
by Luckie D
Summary: Keeping a promise to herself, Maria and John head to Boston for a week. Munch meets her former captain, comes across a narc K-9 cop with an attitude to spare, and a city not too different then New York. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Maria is my own creation. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU All places/roads/names mentioned are just a figment of my imagination.  
Set a week after Carry on, Wayward Hound**.

Ignoring the sound of the train whistle that traveled through the car, Maria allowed her mind to wonder aimlessly to unimportant subjects. In a specially padded bag above her head, Ace's ashes sat in a white and blue urn, wrapped in bubble wrap and double wrapped by a few pieces of her clothing. Thanks to Cragen, Maria was able to get a week off to travel to Boston to bury Ace and to just get away from the city. Also, thanks to much paperwork, Cragen was able to let John go as well to keep her company.

John, sitting next to her, kept his hand on her thigh and his piece hidden well at his side. Watching her from the corner of his eye, he kept his eyes forward as someone came up the aisle with a cart, asking if anyone wanted drinks. Moving his hand to grasp her fingers on the arm rest, he leaned over as she snapped her head to look at him. "Do you want something to drink?"

Giving a small shrug, Maria gave a very low, "nothing alcoholic," before turning her head back to stare out the window. She knew John was trying to help her, but at that moment, she was feeling small tension of what she was going to see and meet when they would arrive. Feeling a cold cup being placed in her open hand, she turned her head to see him placing a small cup of ginger ale with ice on her palm. Glancing over at what he had, water with one little ice cube, Maria took a small sip before placing it down on her tray. "We need to talk about what's going to be happening."

"There's going to be more then just the burial?"

Shifting in her seat to get closer to him, Maria linked her arm with his and lowered her voice. "There are a quite a bit of questionable characters that you might be meeting when we arrive. First one is Captain McKern, my former captain and the father figure I had when I first arrived here."

"What's he like?"

"He calls me kiddo and he's as old as the dinosaurs," she smirked when he raised his dark eyebrows. "I'm serious about that. He's never going to retire from Special Victims and he already knows he's going to die at his desk. He's one of the rare good guys and the one picking us up at the station."

"And the bad guys?"

"That would be Bern Sullivan - also known as Sullie. He's a fellow K-9 officer, but he works narc with his dog, Crush. He's the main one I would worry about at this point."

"Crush?" He stared over his transitions at the name of the dog. "Could they have come up with something more romantic?"

"He wanted to name him Cruncher, but they wouldn't allow him to do that since the name was too...well...suggestive." Picking up the cup and taking another small sip, she placed it back down and started back up again. "Sullie trains his dogs differently then what we were told to train. He trains them with sharp hand motions. For instance, he can have a drug boss talking back at him, standing really close to him as well, and he will flick his wrist so the dog will jump and bite the person. He can get away with it by saying he grabbed for him."

"Sounds like a sleaze bag, to me." John sat back in his seat and stretched out his long legs. "How is that man still working there?"

"because he has many recommendations under his belt and seems to connect with recovering drug addicts who hand over their former suppliers." Maria took a hold of his hand, where it rested on her knee, and followed along his knuckles to the tip of his fingers and finger nails. "The guy cheats on any and all women he has relationships with, possibly has fathered a wild array of children and give people he doesn't like nicknames."

John frowned at the reputation she was telling him about as he watched her fingers glide over his. "I take back that sleaze comment...he's a pig and a half at this point. I may not want to know this, but what nickname did he give you?"

"He calls me Frankie Fray and got a kick to the shine from yours truly." Maria linked her fingers with his and leaned back in her seat, her head resting against his shoulder. "He found it funny that my first name is a woman name while my middle and last names work well for men only."

"You're just lucky, sweetheart." John sighed as he squeezed her fingers. We may end up meeting him, right?"

"Yep," Maria mumbled with her mind drifting off at the sound of the steadying clunking of the train wheels on the tracks. "Wake me up when we get there?" Nestling closer to him to get comfortable and inhaling the familiar smell, Maria allowed herself to relax for the first time in days.

Glancing down to see her asleep and very comfortable, John's lips pulled back at a small smile and reached for the _New York Times_ that was sticking out of her shoulder bag, knowing fully well he would have wanted to read it. Seeing something shiny in a small bag, he carefully leaned down to pick it up and noticed it was small Reese's cups she had secretly packed for him. Sneaking a small kiss on top of her head, he kept his fingers laced with her's while he opened the _Times_ and proceeded to unwrap the small treat with one hand.

---------------------

Waking with a start at the feel of John gently shaking her awake, Maria raised her arms over her head and stretched out her legs. "We there yet?"

"About ten minutes or so to go," he removed his glasses from his face and rubbed his eyes. "I drifted off myself for a little there. Never realized the sounds of a train would cause me to drift off." Stretching his long arms and draping one arm around her shoulders, he watched out the window of the rising skyline of tall buildings as the train started to slow and pull into the North Boston Train station. "Okay, well, that's less then ten minutes."

Smiling, Maria picked up her shoulder back and slung it over her right shoulder, grabbing for her coat. "Ready to meet the town?" Once the train went to a complete stop and people started to move off of the train, John kept a hold of Maria's sleeve so he wouldn't be separated from her in the thick crowd. Moving at a slow pace, Maria reached back and took a hold of his hand to make sure he was really there. Moving out of the way for other folks to get by, Maria took a seat on a bench and glanced at her watch, John standing over her with their two pilot bags on his strong right shoulder. "Now all we need to do is wait for Gene."

"This McKern has a first name?" John scanned the crowd, his eyes darted around at all the faces. "Do I need to be aware of the weird Boston slang?"

"Folks are easy to understand here, John. Don't worry," Maria watched as a woman was swept up by a male companion and hugged tightly. "And, yes, Gene is his first name. Gene McKern - old as the dinos, knows how to kick a wise-ass's ass, and keeps a stiff upper lip." Taking a hold of his suit jacket and giving a firm tug, John sat down beside her and leaned back with legs stretched out. He was still people watching, even though he looked relaxed. "He loved Scott like he was his own son or his grandson, for that matter."

"Maria!"

Turning their heads at the sound of her name being called, John spotted a short, frail looking man working his way over to them. "I'm going to guess that _that_ man is McKern?" John kept his voice low and Maria's face breaking out into a smile.

Standing as the man neared and pulled into a tight hug, Maria let out a tearful, "Oh, Gene! So good to see you again,"and didn't both to wipe away her tears. She didn't care at this point - she was seeing an old friend for the first time in a long time.

John couldn't help but smile at the notion she was reunited with a man she had not seen for a long time, but he also felt left out. He could tell they both had a close bond, having survived the horrific case that torn McKern's team apart and left three detectives dead, one that had been given lethal injection and one who John was madly in love with. Standing to shift the pilot bags on his shoulder, John locked eyes with the Gene, who was observing him with interest. Breaking the hug and holding his hand out for Munch to take, Gene flashed a grin with surprisingly white and well taken care of teeth. "I'm going to take a guess and say you must be John Munch," He started, his hand shake firm. _Scott sure did look like him_, he thought. "I'd say let's head to the car, maybe pick up some coffee and/or dinner and drop you both off at the inn?"

"How about coffee and dinner?" Maria started, her head tilting a little with a smirk on her lips. "Maybe a peach danish for later on? I'll buy." Removing a pilot bag from John's shoulder, she hoisted it onto her shoulder to relieve John from holding it.

"Yeah, like last time you said you would pay for the place we stopped at once for a quick lunch..." Gene said, his voice giving a tale of a singsong tone. "You only did the tip and leaving us to do the rest, Frank."

"Well, at least I did something," Maria smiled back, knowing it was playful bantering they were doing. "I swear, on my pension, I'll pay for it."

"Okay then. Munch, you are the viable witness to this deal." He said, pointing a finger at the tall man, who was actually enjoying the show. Making ways to McKern's car, John placed the bags into the truck, sat in the backseat and held his hands out for the bag holding the urn Maria handed him. Pulling out of the parking lot and heading down the road, Gene hit the off button on his radio and turned his head to Maria, sitting in the front passenger seat."How's New York treating you, kiddo?"

"Really well. Same awful cases, same sleepless nights, totally different people." Her green eyes stared into the review mirror, seeing John looking out the window and observing the buildings and people they passed by. Smiling when his dark eyes moved and locked on her's, Maria turned her head to McKern and said, "Let's just say that the city hasn't changed."

"Here or in New York?"

"Both," She inhaled a heavy breath, watching people zipping through traffic to get across the road. "Last time I saw Boston, Ace and I had left in the middle of the night, booked a train ticket under my alias the week before and just left." McKern pulled into a small spot in front of a diner. "Never thought I would come back, but I had to."

"And glad you did, Kid. Now, let's think happier thoughts and grab some dinner." Turning in his seat, he spoke to John. "Hope you like burgers and the best fries in town, John."

Entering into the comfortable atmosphere and taking a seat near the back, something that had become a habit between Maria and John, and ordered three burgers with fries and coffee. Taking a sip from his coffee mug, John nodded with satisfaction of how well the coffee tasted. "Hm, this is good coffee. Is it true this is the best place for fries?"

"Sure is! At least in this neighborhood. Most of the money they get goes into the support of the main homeless shelter on fifth street. They are trying to make it bigger _and_ better to accommodate the amount of families they have had stop in." Gene's bright eyes shot over to the door and saw someone come in that caused him to groan. "Oh, great."

What?" Maria strained her head up to see a woman heading towards them. "Don't tell me she's still around," She lowered her voice as she weaved through crowds and placed her hands on the table, startling John who hadn't been paying any attention to the woman coming near. His eyes were scaling over the designs on the wall, wishing he could get that type of design in his place.

"Gene, is your phone off or are you loosing your hearing?" The woman demanded, ignoring the huffing sound coming from Maria. "I have been calling you for the past half hour and trying to get a hold of you about the Franz shooting on Edmonton."

"Sharon, did you read your mail this morning?" McKern kept his voice steady and his eyes locked with her's. "I had specifically told you that I was meeting an old friend and going to be out of the office most of this week." The woman's shoulders slacked, but kept her glare up. "Sharon, I'm sure you remember Maria Frank? She's going to be here for this week only and I have already made it be known I was going to be busy."

Sharon's eyes darted to look at Maria and her face whitened. "You," was all she said as her jaw clenched.

"Yeah, it's me, Tindal. You still pushing pencils into the sharpener or have you provided _services_ to reach the top?" She remarked, her face blank and her head tilting in one direction. John, hiding behind his coffee mug, couldn't hide the chuckle that was trying to burst out of him. Sharon, glaring and lowering her head like a charging bull, she ground her teeth and left the restaurant. "Well, that was fun," Maria smiled as she picked up her mug and took a long sip.

"That's the reason why I love you," John whispered, chuckling while Gene tried hard to not laugh out loud. "Guess she and you go way back?"

Gene snickered as their foo arrived and requested refills on coffee, "Sharon is the kiss ass of my department. she has tried to rise from desk duty of your basic shootings to following my new detectives on the streets. Thing is, she keeps making mistakes with the simplest of cases."

"How is that crazy bitch still working for you?" Maria asked, taking a bite from a fry. "We go way back, John. She frowned upon the fact I was unmarried and pregnant," Gene and Maria shared a glance. "She called Scott as a bastard child and me a whore."

"That's cruel," John growled. "How is she still working there?"

"We believe the system is corrupt, but then again," Gene folded his fingers. "So are all the other systems."

Rolling his eyes, John took a bite from his burger and exhaled a heavy breath. "Figures."

"Welcome to Boston, John." She sighed. "It's all the same here."

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm barely even here for an hour and I'm already meeting _odd_ people," John stretched out on the inn bed, his head turned to watch Maria place two danishes into the mini fridge the inn provided for them. "I met Sharon, but not Sullie...should I be worried about that woman?"

"Nah," She shrugged and sat down beside him, her hand rubbing firmly over his knee. "She's just a bitch who needs to be laid on a regular basis." John's fingers traced up her back as he laughed, his eyes drooping lazily and felt like he needed a nap. Feeling her fingers run through his hair, he watched her move to where his legs hung off the bed, untie his shoes and pull them off. "Go to sleep, now. I'll get you up in a few hours," Maria grinned down at him and kissed his forehead. "'Kay?"

"Sure thing," He mumbled, his hand reaching up to run her through her brown hair. "You're the boss." Draping his arm over his eyes and sighing, Maria sat down at the desk and pulled out her laptop from her bag. Plugging it in and turning it on, Maria watched her reflection in the black turning blue screen. Turning her dark haired head when she heard John softly snoring from on top of the blankets, Maria told herself to behave and turned her head back to her screen. _Be good, Frank. He tired and you know he deserves that sleep. _Resting her chin on her hand, she scanned her email, saw nothing too serious that needed to be looked at right away, and headed in the direction of where her games were.

Ten minutes into her Mahjong game and trying to find the last two available moves, Maria turned in her seat and watched as raindrops started to fall. Standing and opening a window to hear the rain better, she leaned against the window sill and watched heavy raindrops fall from the gray sky. "I hope it doesn't rain all week," Maria shook her head slowly, reaching behind her head and running her fingers through her hair to pull into a small ponytail. Her green eyes scanning folks from their second floor room, Maria smiled to herself as a young man placed a newspaper over his head and rushed himself and his dog to a sheltered spot from the rain.

Moving back across the room and toeing her shoes off, Maria reached into her bag, retrieving a book and laid down on the bed. Considering John had laid down slightly diagonally, laying down horizontal was out of the question for her. She finally took a chance to lay down with her head on his stomach. Enjoying the warmth and the feeling of him deeply breathing under her head, Maria reached a hand up above her head and gently tickled where skin was exposed for her to tickle. Feeling his warm flesh under her fingers and his muscles tensing and relaxing made her smile. Opening her book to the page she had stopped on, she started indulging in her own who-dun-it novel.

* * *

The feeling of John's fingers caressing her cheek lovingly snapped Maria from the deep sleep she had slumbered into without knowing. "Hey, beautiful. I thought you said you'd get me up instead," He leaned over her, smiling. As she stretched her arms out, John took the chance to steal a lengthy kiss and her arms wrapping around his neck told him it was a good choice. Moving to her neck and nibbling at a sensitive spot below her ear, John's hands kept her down as she tried to arch up against him. "Anxious, are we?" His hands move to pin her arms down by her head, moving to her collar bone.

"You know we can't do this here, John," Maria bit down on her bottom lip to hold back a gasp. Wiggling her arms free and pushing gently against his chest, Maria braced herself on her elbows and watched John carefully - in case he tried again. "I don't want to add to the possible amount of specimens that might be on this bed." Liking that idea, John leaned forward and attempted to kiss her again, but a hand over his mouth stopped him again. "What did I just say?"

Kissing her palm, his tongue just grazing her skin, he pulled back and heavily sighed, saying, "'We can't do this here'." His brown eyes darted in the direction of the bathroom and a light bulb went off in his head. "How about the shower?"

"Oh, I don't think so," Maria said in a sing song voice, seeing him pout a little. Breaking down just a little and hating to see him pout like that, Maria sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, if you be good for a few days _and_ stop trying to break me down more then I am, we can indulge in our activity in the shower. But," She held up her finger to warn him, "you have to behave and remember that this not just a vacation."

"Cross me heart," He held up his hands and allowed her to push him flat on his back, smiling up at her as her hands pinned his arms down and she straddled his waist. "It's a Monday late afternoon and we're playing the who's pinning who game."

"Well," Maria dragged out the word, her eyes slightly rolling and slowly moved off of him. "This isn't a vacation, John. I came here in a serious determination and you know that."

Sitting up and placing his hands on her waist, John's eyes watched her gently. "I know... It was my plan to come with you for support and because I don't want you to be alone with this." Keeping his eyes gazed on her's, he rested his chin on her stomach and continued to look up at her. "I came with you because I love you and I don't want to do deal with burying Ace by yourself."

Gazing down at him and running her fingers through his hair, Maria couldn't help but wonder one thing. "Then what was that earlier? You getting all hot and heavy with me and..." She reached behind herself, noticing he had indeed undone something. "And undoing my bra? Johnathan!" Sitting down and attempting to reattach the clasps, Maria gave a friendly glare at John. "When and how did you do that?"

He leaned over and kissed behind her ear, reaching to help her and said in her ear, "When you arched up, my fingers just _slipped_."

"Yeah, okay...," Maria waited until he was done fixing, but he didn't lower her shirt back down. "John?"

"Yes?"

"Stop ogling at my back and lower my shirt."

He still didn't lower her shirt, but she could feel him smiling behind her. "It's a condition, Maria. I have to ogle at your back five minutes a day to keep my condition under control." He finally lowered her shirt and rested his chin on her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"Funny," She reached a hand back and placed it behind his head, "Very funny. I thought it was a condition to stare at my chest."

"That, too." Closing his eyes and enjoying their closeness for those minutes, they sat together for a long time. Feeling her fingers rub the back of his neck to relax him, he smiled lazily in content and slowly realized how tired he still was. "What are we doing for the rest of the day?"

"Nothing, really. Tomorrow, I have some stuff I want to do, but we can just laze around for today." Tilting her head to look at him and seeing he was looking tired again, Maria leaned her head forward just enough for her nose to touch his. "You look exhausted still."

"I am," He nuzzled her neck and exhaled a breath. "I didn't think I would be this exhausted coming here, you know?"

"I know," She pulled away to face him and undid his tie. "How about this; you go back to sleep, I'm going to do some work on my computer and I'll wake you up in a few hours so we can decide on dinner. Okay?"

"What ever you say," He agreed, laying back down. "You're the boss on this trip, babe." John placed his transitional glasses back onto the side table and hugged a pillow to himself, laying on one side. Making sure he was comfortable before sitting back down at the desk, Maria moved her finger over the mouse pad until it woke up with a small _ping_.

Her first thought was the email Cragen and let him know that they were there, safe and sound. Having a window open to hear the rain falling and listening to John's soft snoring near her, Maria allowed her mind and fingers to type away without really focusing on her own thoughts. Once she clicked send and scanned over other sent emails she hadn't read over, her green eyes settled on one that had been from her former captain."He sent that an hour ago...," She said in a low voice so to not wake John. Maria read it quickly over and soon realized she should have mentioned another odd habit to Munch. _The video camera. I can't believe he still uses that little sucker._

Grinding her teeth slightly in her own stupidity about not mentioning it, Frank inhaled a deep breath and released it through her lips. _Fuck it. I'll tell him later. _Shaking it out of her mind and bringing up another window and resuming her game, she never noticed how much time had passed until her eyes moved from her seventh game to look at the time. "Oh, crap.. it's been an hour and a half already."

Maria slowly got up and sat down beside the still sleeping man. Leaning slightly over his shoulder to look at his face, she just couldn't get over how much younger he looked when he slept. The frowning creases in his face were relaxed and looking fully content with his long arms wrapped around the pillow. _How handsome you are, sleeping like that._ She draped her arm over his shoulders and pressed against him, taking this small moment to be close to him. Her growling stomach disagreed. "John, sweetie, gotta wake up now."

"Hm."

"I know... You're still tired, but I think some of Pete's Pasta Shop might get you up and going."

"Hm?" He opened his eyes slightly and lifted his head. "Sounds like you already made a decision about dinner."

"Not really, but Pete's just came to my mind." She pulled away and stood up, towering over him. "C'mon or you'll never sleep tonight."

Sitting up and stretching his arms over his head, John watched Maria unpack their suitcases and place them into the dresser drawers. "I'm going to take a shower... want to set some clothes out for me?"

"Always love to," She smiled up at him, picking up some items of clothes and placed them down on the bed. "Would you like me to join?"

Placing his hand under her chin and tilting her head up, John gave her a leisurely kiss. "I would love it," he whispered, finishing off their kiss and heading to the bathroom. Grinning stupidly at herself and knowing fully well she was, Maria pulled a few of her own clothes, placed them on the bed, picked up her showering items and headed into the bathroom.

Helping each other to remove their clothing, they both entered into the warm shower and John instantly wrapped his arms around her and held her close. It had become a comforting habit about John to hold her close when they entered the shower together. Either it was to help her warm up after entering the shower or just because he wanted to - Maria wasn't really sure. But she didn't object to being held by him. Resting her cheek against his chest and lazily wrapping her arms around his waist, she watched the warm water make paths down his chest.

Memorized by it, Maria slightly jumped when she felt John's fingers go through her hair and realized there was shampoo on his hands. She smiled contently under his gently touch and pressed a kiss to his chest, letting him know. Tilting her head up to look up at him and kissing him softly, she said, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," He smiled down at her, his hands moving to knead her neck gently.

* * *

Finishing their showers and dressing it comfortable clothes, they both sat on a bed with a phone book between them and looking for places with good food. "Reggie's?"

"They're closed on Mondays."

"Papa's Pizza Place?"

Their sauce is a little iffy."

"Guess we're back to..."

"Pete's Pasta Shop?" Maria uncrossed and crossed her legs again, allowing for circulation to start up again. "They really do have great pasta that comes in many different recipes."

John lifted his eyes and stared at her from over his transitions. "Do they have pastitsio?"

"You bet your badge they do. The best pastitsio in the city." She proudly proclaimed.

"Oh, please," He started, sitting straight up from his leaning position and gave her a look. "No other cook can be better then your pastitsio." Maria cocked her head to one side and stared at him with an intense look, but nothing that alarmed him. He grinned at her and said, "What are you staring at?"

"You," she grinned back at him. "Just you are saying that my cooking is better then anyone else's. Are you being serious or are you trying to get me to crack."

"Not at all," He shook his head, still grinning. "I'm serious... I had never met someone who can beat your cooking skills when it comes to pastitsio."

She leaned back to grab for the inn phone and chuckled. "We shall see very soon." She quickly dialed in, placed their order and hung the phone up, still smiling. "We have twenty minutes to spare until it comes. Are you sure you want to bet my skills over Pete's?"

"Fine... if I win, I get a kiss."

"Okay," Maria crossed her arms and leaned back against the head board. "And if I win, you give up one of your rocket pops."

John frowned for half a second before exhaling a long breath. It was a known fact that Maria was a regular stalker of his stock of rocket pops and always breaking into a new box when he wasn't looking. The last time he caught her with one in her hands, the frozen confection had melted into a sticky liquid before he could get it away from her. Even when he would buy her own box, she'd clean it out and sniff around for his.

Literally.

"Fine," John gave in, punctuating his agreement with a heavy sigh. "Alright, deal." He held is hand out and Maria shook it to close their deal. _I think I just signed my death warrant for that, _John thought for a moment. His taste for her baked pasta was never ending, especially when she would make it after a long, mind numbing day. Since Ace's passing, she hadn't gone into making the delicious meal and he secretly missed it. Maybe having some from Pete's Pasta Shop might just get her back into her old cooking ways.

**To be continued-**


	3. Chapter 3

Once Maria had picked up some news papers for John to skim through until their meal had arrived, she couldn't help but smile. He sat at the desk next to her, his face inches from the printed paper and making sounds depending on what he was reading. "This is interesting...," He said to no one is particular, but she knew he wanted to say what he read.

Placing her page down from the paper she had, Maria reached a foot out and lightly kicked him. "What'd you find?"

"Oh, just what seems to be the usual crap that we hear and read in New York." He sat up straighter and exhaled a slow breath. "Just really interesting to me."

"Did you get a chance to read through what the cops here are up to?" Maria asked, standing to peer through the window and saw a car pull up. "From what I've been reading, it's like all of the cases we have done for years." She watched a man come out with a large one paper bag and heading to the direction of their room. "Looks like our foods here."

John stood and reached for his wallet from the night stand. "How about I pay for it since you ordered?" He offered, reaching for a few bills. Once Maria nodded for him to go ahead, she sat down and watched as they exchanged the bag for the bills and John closed the door. "This is a little heavier then I thought it was."

"That's a good thing! That means they pounded on the food really well," She smiled as he reached inside and pulled out the take out containers, placing them on the tables. Once everything had been set down and Maria fished out the water bottles from her bag, they both sat down and the sound of approval from John made her smile. "What do you think?"

"Okay, you win the bet this time 'round." He smirked happily at her, knowing he had lost their bet. "It's hard for me to admit that your cooking can't be beaten, but this is five times better then yours."

"I told you, but did you believe me?"

"I do now." He grinned happily and the finished their dinner in silence. Placing his plastic fork down and leaning back, John sighed in content and wished for a warm cup of tea at that moment. "Wish I had some tea bags with us."

"Ah! I'm already set for that, my dear." Frank got up from her chair and reached back into her bag, extracting a few sandwich bags with an assortment of teabags. "I am all set for your crazy cravings for sweets and tea."

He stood to stand in front of her and traced her jaw line with his fingers. "You are too good to me, baby," he said softly, brushing his lips against her's and his arms wrapped around her securely. Placing one hand behind his neck and the other around his back, Maria allowed him to push her up against the wall and pinning her there with his body. Breaking the kiss and pressing his forehead against hers, John nervously laughed and leaned into her fingers when they brushed against his face. "You are way too good to me and I'm hoping there is no one on the other side of this wall."

"Maybe and maybe not," She grinned at him. "I could care less if they hear a thump from our end."

John pulled back slightly and raised his dark eyebrows, still smiling. "Talking about our intentions without even allowing me to get my way is pure evil."

"I know, but you know I was mentioning about you pushing me up against here." She patted the wall with her palm. "And you being this close to me isn't really helping me much either. Do you want your tea or not?"

He kiss her nose and whispered, "I want you now, instead of tea."

"I can't yet, John. Not until I say it's okay or when we get back home." She tilted her head up and gazed into his eyes, watching him sigh heavily. "All right?"

"Okay," He pulled back slightly and his long arms dropped to his side.

"Remember? We talked about this earlier today."

"You know I can't resist a pretty face, right?" He cocked an eyebrow and smiled on her, his hands moved back to her waist.

Maria held up a finger as a warning and said, " Steady back, mister, or I'm going to duck tape you to the wall and you won't be getting any of this body for a long time."

If John was capable of growling in objection of this put down at not being able to get his way with his woman, he would have. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Munch sat down in a chair and stared at her with an expression he had used in the past to get her to crack. Maria crossed her slender arms over her chest and stared back until he looked away.

Realizing all he wanted was to be extremely close to her during this difficult time in their lives of placing Ace to rest, Maria mentally kicked herself and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry, John. I know you're trying to help and everything, but sex doesn't seem like what I need right now." His long arms wrapped around her waist and he raised his head to look into her eyes, seeing how sorry she really was. Her fingers moved through his hair and smiled down at him when he took a hold of her hand and kissed her palm. "Can you forgive me?"

"I always do, sweetheart," he lifted her shirt slightly and lightly kissed her stomach. "Can I have my tea now?"

Maria chuckled softly and ran her fingers back through his hair. "Sure."

* * *

"Gene just e-mailed me." Several hours later and with the sun now fully set, only a few lights were on in their room; a lamp on the desk, and a tall lamp in the corner where John sat with his paper.

"He did?"

"Yep." She sat back and rubbed her hands over her eyes. "He wants to know if he can take us out for an early lunch tomorrow morning and to take us to where I used to work - The two sixth station."

"Think you can take it?" John knew how important her former place of employment had meant to her. Where she had been for a long time and watched her fellow colleagues being cut down like grass blades before running to save her own skin.

"With you - yes," She nodded her head firmly and looked at him. "Yes, I can do it with you next to me. It won't be easy to walk back into that big brick building and to see flash backs of the faces that are no longer there, but I can do it."She looked back at the screen, trying to hide her own concern about something he didn't know.

Her slightly worried expression concerned him, despite what she had said. "Sweetheart?" She lifted her head and gave full attention. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

She quickly said, "No," and turned back to the screen, leaving John more curious then before and he frowned for half a second. _What is she hiding now from me? _

"Maria?"

"What?"

"Talk to me," he placed his paper down and walked over to her, kneeling down to look at her better. "_Something_ is bothering you and your hiding it from me."

"It's...," she paused to lean back, her hand over her eyes. "It's something very personal that I'll tell you later. I can't tell you now because you won't sleep tonight with what I'm hiding." Her fingers grazed over his cheek tenderly and removed his transitions from his face to look at him better. "It's something from my past - before we met - that caused me to stay in special victims. Before it happened, I was going to leave for something less dangerous and this _event_ caused me to stay even more."

"Tell me about it."

"I can't... Not yet anyway," she turned off her laptop and closed it with a soft _click_. Handing him back his glasses and standing back up, Maria headed to the bed and set the alarm. "C'mon, let's just get some sleep tonight instead. We have to get up early-"

"Why do you do_ that_?" John cut her off, his hands out to emphasis how upset and annoyed he was. There was one thing he hated about her and it was how she hid many things from her past from him. After they had first met, he had learned she had a rough teen age years; her parents committing murder/suicide and being tossed into the system and placed with white supremacists who wanted to 'change' her in New York. Before that could happen, she had fled and ended up in Boston where she started a new life with what little she had. It wasn't easy for him to get that information out of her, but when he did, he almost felt like he didn't want to know.

And here she was, hiding from him once again and it was going to take some serious prodding to get her to open up about it. She had made it be known she was hiding something, had mentioned a small amount to him and changed the subject. He hated that about her. "Talk to me, Maria. Tell me what it is so I can help you."

"You really want to know?"

"Yes!"

She sat down on the edge of the bed and slowly undid the buttons. "It was a year after I joined, John. Already earned my scar of courage on my elbow by that time and I had met this man." She removed the shirt and tossed to where her empty suitcase sat and stared up at him. "He was the kindest man I had ever met and he had accepted what I was doing and we began to spend time together and getting to know each other."

John quickly relaxed now that she was speaking and sat down next to her, listening intently. "He understood that I was just not some woman who would openly accept any man's advances. All of my past relationships proved that, but he accepted who I was back then. I was a nervous person who couldn't just have sex with someone and walk away, you know that."

"Right."

"Well," She looked down at their hands, his holding her's. "He proposed to me not long after we met and we had made small plans for any kind of wedding, we hadn't moved in together however, and I found that odd. But, I was young and stupid and didn't put much thought into it. One evening, he said he had to leave to finish up some work from his office that was downtown and he left right as soon as he said it."

"What happened?"

"I got a call around midnight and was called to a scene and...," she paused for a small moment, her eyes glazing over with tears. "And they said they had the suspect in custody." John's fingers slowly ran up and down her back for comfort, a terrible feeling rising in his gut just watching her reliving something that had haunted her. "The...the victim had been a hooker and the suspect was _him_. I had trusted him, I thought he had respected me for doing what I was doing and here he was - giving me more crime scenes instead of punching in the numbers."

Munch wrapped his arm around her and held her close to him, finally understanding why she wanted to keep it a secret. "I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't mean to pressure you into telling me... If I had known, I wouldn't have-"

"It's okay," She lifted her head to look up at him. "It would have come out anyway...someday." She stood up, opened a drawer and reached for a night shirt and shorts. "When I had met you, I was still nervous around the idea of someone breaking my heart, but you were different, John. There was something I trusted about you and I felt safe around you." She sat back down and sadly smiled at him. "And I will always trust you."

Grinning back at her and proud she had said he kept her safe from the start, he pulled her in for a deep kiss that lingered for several long minutes, his long fingers threading through her hair before resting behind her neck. Slowly and gradually breaking the kiss, John's dark eyes looking deeply into her's and said softly, "I love you and... I'm so sorry."

"You didn't know." Her smile morphed into a bigger smile as she did a fake 'can't reach behind my back' move and quietly asked John for assistant. Reaching behind her and slowly undoing the clasps, he slide the straps from her shoulders and pulled it off her body. Giggling to herself since his eyes lingered at the wonderful view in front of him, she could see he was resisting hard to not reach out and touch her. "Now, you know the rule, baby. You can look, but you can't touch right now."

"Can I just caress?" He gave her a pitiful and puppy like look. "Please? Can I just caress one and I'll keep my hands to myself for the rest of the night."

"Yeah sure," She laughed lightly. "The last time you said you would keep your hands to yourself, you ended up pinning me in the bathroom - at my place and I never looked at that room the same way again."

"Remind me to do that again when we get back," He grinned evilly, his eyes moving to look up at her face and then back down at her chest. "Just one little touch?"

"Fine, go right ahead," Maria broke down and tried to think of balancing her check book when he fingers came in contact with them, but those thoughts were wiped clean when his lips met her's. Her own mind went cold and tried to pull away knowing they couldn't do it here, but she just wanted to feel something, just like he did. Wrapping her arms around his neck and allowing him to push her back against the blankets, but she placed her hand on his chest and pushed back. "No, John... We can't."

"And yet, you tempt me with that coy 'help me with this' look." He sat back up and looked at the clock - it was time for bed. For real. "All right... I'll behave. But, can I ask for one small thing?"

Maria rolled her green eyes and gave him a lazy smile. "What?"

"Sleep without a shirt on? I promise I'll behave," He added quickly, his hands going behind his back. "Please? I'll be good."

Okay, then. But, you are going to have to sleep without a shirt on either." She held up her index finger to prove her point. "Otherwise-"

"Done!" He quickly stripped down, got under the blankets and patted the empty spot next to him with a big grin. "Joining me?"

Maria tilted her head slightly and stared at him in wonder. "That was_ really_ fast, John. The last time you stripped down that fast was during a snowstorm last year and we needed _something_ to do."

"When we get back home, remind me so we can do that again," He remarked, reaching out and pulling her close. "C'mon, baby. I'll be good for real this time." She reached behind her, flipped off the lights and joined him in his open arms. "Hm, much better," He whispered, holding her close to him.

Maria pulled the blankets up closer and snuggled closer against John's chest, a smile tugging against her lips. "I'm sure, John. Considering I'm now here in your arms," she kissed his clavicle, "I know you're happy."

Munch rested his head against the pillow and drifted off after asking, "Get up early?"

"Not really. I'll get us up when I wake up"

**To be continued**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Maria is my own creation...it's said she's my split personality. She whole-heartily agrees.  
**

Deep in her own slumber, something told Maria Frank it was time to get up. Slowly opening one eye and looking at the clock, she quietly groaned, knowing it was time to get up. Turning her neck slightly around to see John comfortably snuggled against her, a small smile on his lips and his arm draped comfortably over her. His fingers delicately resting against her bare breasts when he practically begged her to just sleep without a shirt on. She agreed only if he didn't sleep with one either. And here she was; comfortably held against the man she loved and knew she had to get up.

Slowly pulling away and draping her legs over the edge of the bed, Maria stretched out and slowly stood up. "First thing's first...," She whispered as she scanned the slightly lit room and eyed a fresh towel and thought of a nice shower. Picking it up and heading in the direction of the bathroom, Maria glanced over to see John's long arms wrapped about her pillow and held close to his body. "When the hell did he do that?" She question softly, staring down at him. Shaking her head and sighing, she thought to herself, _I gotta stop wondering these kinds of things. I'll never figure out the answer._

Fifteen minutes later, Maria stepped out to grab her towel to come face-to-face with John with a goofy smile on his face. "Let me guess, didn't wake me to join you in the water, the heat and become entangled like snakes coiled around each other?" Smiling dangerously at him, she held her hand out for the towel behind him. Reaching behind him and taking a hold of him, Munch stepped dangerously close to her until their bodies touched. "How bad do you want this towel?"

"Bad," She whispered back, not surprised he would do something like this. "I'm starting to shiver."

"Poor baby." He smiled as his lips brushed against her's. Wrapping the towel around her shoulders and tucking it securely to stay at her chest, he picked up another smaller towel and thoroughly dried her hair to where she liked it. "Better?"

"Much, thank you." She smiled up at him, rewarding him with a soft kiss. Walking out of the bathroom and heading to where her clothes were located, Maria dropped the towel and reached for her clothes, watching Munch carefully as his eyes roamed up and down her now dry body. She never knew when he was going to lunge forward, pin her and coax her to let him have his way. Considering where they were, he didn't seem at all worried if they were caught being closer then allowed. "How long have you been up?"

"Longer then you were." He smiled at her, stepping forward to help her strap on her bra. "I wanted to take a moment to just hold you as you slept and mentally make love with you."

Frank reached for her T-shirt and pulled it over her head, chuckling to herself. "Is that all you think about?"

"What?"

"Sex," She reached for her jeans and repeated, "Is that all you think about?"

He shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the corner of the bed. "Since we came here, it feels like my mind has been cleared from our cases we left behind. Guess I had to fill in the empty spots of my brain." He gazed up at her with an innocent smile and his short salt and pepper hair sticking up in odd places. "What's the plan for today?"

"I told you last night, John." Maria sighed, picking up her watch and wrapping it around her left wrist. "A late breakfast with Gene and a stop over at the two sixth station. I'm not entirely sure where we're going to have breakfast, but I know Gene will pick a good place." She finished getting dressed and looked over at Munch who was still staring up at her with a small smile. "Are you going to take your shower yet?"

"I will," He started. "But, you have to kiss me first."

"I did when I got out of the shower."

"Ah," he held up his index finger. "But, it wasn't your 'I love you more then life' kiss." Maria tilted her head to one side, a sassy smile on her face. "Just one meaningful kiss and I'll head to the shower. Please?" She stood before him and smiled, leaning down to brush her lips against his and deepened it when his hand moved to the back of her neck. They moaned softly together once John's tongue entered her mouth and Maria deepened it as much as they both could do. Intertwining her fingers through the more salt then pepper colored hair, Maria broke the kiss and smiled softly at him.

Inhaling a slow breath and taking a hold of his hand, she pulled him to his feet and pointed him in the direction of the bathroom. "Now, get going before he comes and sees you are not ready." Maria grabbed for a dry towel, tossed it onto his shoulder and gave a playful push. "C'mon, get going."

* * *

"How was the first night?" Gene asked once they had settled down in a cozy booth near the back for John's own enjoyment. The smell of fresh eggs, hash browns, toast and coffee had him fully distracted and Maria instantly knew his plate was going to be full. And not gain an ounce.

She stretched her arms over her head and nodded. "It was a good night. I forgot their beds were that comfortable, that's for sure. Heading home, I'm going to miss that mattress." Her eyes glanced over to see John lost in his menu and wasn't paying any attention to them. But she knew he was listening intently. Lowering her voice so others wouldn't listen in, she leaned forward and her former captain followed suit. "Mr. Grabby hands next to me made it difficult to try to get some sleep though." McKern laughed softly and John glanced over the menu to see Gene wink at him. "Let's just say that being away from observing eyes where we are makes it difficult for us to be together in public. Being out here seems to be giving him this thrill to do anything in an unknown location."

"I can hear you," John sighed, placing his menu down and taking a sip from his fresh coffee.

Maria smiled at him and sat back in her seat. "I know you can hear me. Glad to know your ears are working perfectly." She lifted the coffee mug to her lips and sipped slowly while Gene waved over a well known friend and a server, Tina. All three placed their orders - Maria glanced over at John with a hard look when he ordered a large plate of food - continued with a different topic to chat about. "Now, I never really could see you without a dog at your side, Maria." Gene brought it up carefully, stirring a spoon in his black coffee. "Are you going to consider getting a new one when you're ready?"

She nodded her head and said, "Yeah, when I'm feeling ready to and when I'm not working as much. Considering we've both been getting some more free time than normal, it would be nice to have another dog in the place. But, I'm not sure if I will soon or later when I'm much more ready to have another dog enter my life."

"You know Michelle has available dogs and puppies who didn't make the cut," Gene brought up the manager of the breeding kennel which provided police and drug dogs. "It's just a suggestion and not saying you should get one now, but it's just something that came to mind."

"I know," Maria lowered her eyes, becoming interested in an old water stain on the treated wooden table. "Thanks for bringing it up, but when I feel ready for it, I'll get to that subject."

Gene nodded his head, saying, "I understand. Now, on to breakfast!" He said as their plates arrived.

* * *

An hour later, they pulled up in front of the station house and Maria felt her anxiety rise just looking at the building. Undoing her seat belt and stepping out of the car, her legs felt locked in place and Gene's hand on her shoulder brought her crashing back to earth. "Yeah?"

"You feel ready to go in? I'm not going to rush you into going in, but I am going to warn you there are still some familiar faces plaguing these halls." Gene warned her and was slightly surprised when she huffed softly with a small smile. "What?"

"Gene, those kinds of people never go away. It's like an unruly blood stain you get on your favorite shirt and it pisses you off for the rest of your life - even after tossing it." Her green eyes locked with Gene's and her smile grew slightly. "Besides, I have John with me and he doesn't allow this kind of shit to happen around me when he's with me. Let's just get this show on the road, all right?"

They walked into the building and instantly, the desk Sargent glared hard at them and didn't try to hid it. Once John noticed she was trying to not glance at the man, he glared back and the desk Sargent lowered his head. Once they made it into the elevator, Maria exhaled a heavy breath and glared at Gene. "How is _he_ still working here?"

"I do not know, Maria. I would love to can him, but I don't have that chose." He shook his head and hit the button to floor six. "I love to find someone else to be a desk person and kick him out. I really do."

"Who is he - besides a piece of scum who's lucky I didn't strike him down when I noticed that look?" John snipped out, his hand protectively on her back and glaring at Gene, who shrugged.

Maria nudged John gently and said, "Remember Gaffney from Baltimore?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's just say the desk schmuck could be his younger brother." John flinched slightly and swore under his breath, remember back to when Roger Gaffney would continuously hit on her and then sternly insult her upon her, and his, religion. Is was bad enough when he would push into doing different work with insults, but once John and Maria were together, he had to resist attacking the man. "Now that you know, it's all right. I dealt with it for as long as I was here and I can deal with it for these few minutes now."

John looked down at Maria and seemed to had forgotten Gene was even there. "You didn't see too calm when we walked into the elevator. You didn't seem calm when we walked by!"

"We'll _talk_ about this_ later._" She hissed, her words slipping through her teeth and her eyes flashing dangerously. "We're not going to have this conversation here, do you understand?" His jaw clenched slightly, showing he understood. "Once we get back to the inn, we'll deal with it then." She knew what it was that was causing his fuming temperament to protect her - he needed a decent release and his frustration was leaking out once his eyes locked with that man.

Gene cleared his throat once John stepped away from her and stared at the wall, frowning more at himself than anything. "Is he going to be okay?" He whispered to Maria softly, trying not to give the tall man a reason to tackle him.

"He'll be fine. He fumed, I told him to cool it, and he'll relax in a few." Maria didn't bother to lower her voice, knowing how John worked when it came to his temper fuming over stupid people. "Give him some space and he'll be your pal in a few minutes." She finished as the doors slide open and they stepped out - John hanging behind them - and walked through the double doors to the 'Special Victims Unit' department. Frank inhaled a breath and looked around the familiar room. The desks were still in the same locations, the phones rang with the same annoying volume that would make her stomach clench every time it rang, and Gene's office located in the back of the large room.

Gene held is hand out to allow them in before him. "It's been fairly quiet a few days, so the team is probably in the break room."

"I'll be damned," Maria started looking around the room. "It looks just the way it was when I left." Feeling a hand slip into her's, she firmly squeezed John's hand as he looked around the place, absorbing in where she had worked - before and after they met. "I would have thought you would have given it a new paint job."

"I seriously thought about it, but we haven't gotten around to doing it." He nodded his head in the direction of his office and waited until they both walked in before closing the door. "Let's just say life had gradually returned to normal since the murders and your rape. I have a new team - five good people - and they have never said anything demeaning about you or what you had done to protect yourself."

"That's encouraging." Maria sighed as she sat down in a chair. "It's a different tone then what I was getting earlier." John gripped her shoulder firmly. "So, tell me the real reason why you brought me back here."

Gene shrugged calmly. "Mostly to see how well you can be when coming back in here. I know it'll hurt, but just getting to this floor is encouraging. I know it was hard to leave this place, but I know you did to save yourself. Since Kevin was exicuted for the murders and your rape, are you talking about it more?"

Maria looked up at John and they shared a look - it was a topic they talked about to a limit. "Not as much, but when we do, it's limited."

"Talking about it to anyone, besides him." McKern nodded in Munch's direction. His father figure was starting to come out the more he spoke to her.

"Yeah, there's a shrink I trust enough to talk about it and I see him when I need to or for appointments. You'd like him, Gene - he's really understanding about my situation."

He nodded and reached into the drawer in his desk, pulling what looked like a photo from his desk. "I was going through your former desk drawer and I found this picture I believe you would like to have back. I was going to mail it to you, but I couldn't find the right time for this to come back." He handed the photo to Frank's outreached hand and watched her intake a heavy breath. "I'm sorry I had to drop it back on your lap."

Her eyes glanced up at him and shook her head, glazed over with tears. "Don't worry 'bout it, Gene. Thanks for finding it." Maria stared at it as long as she could before handed up to John.

The photo was the last one taken of her and Scott before he passed away. It had been taken while they were in the hospital with the four year old being held in Maria's arms, an oxygen mask over his tiny mouth and nose and IV's in both small hands. Both seemed to have been fast asleep as Maria's head was back, eyes closed and holding him close to her chest while sitting in a rocking chair. John's swallowed heavily seeing Scott's hand grasping his mother's shirt, as if it said to not let him go. "Wow," was all he could say, her fingers grasping his hand tight.

* * *

Once back at the Inn, Frank safely tucked the photo into her things while Munch stood behind her, ready to continue where she told him. "Yes, I admit, I wasn't calm when we walked past that man at the station and you're right about that. But the truth is, I'm doing better then I had been before, John. If I wasn't doing better, I would have said 'no' at the idea of walking back in that building."

"So I was right?"

"Yes, you were right about that and I'm sorry if I didn't make it quite clear to you earlier." She zipped up her bag as his arms went around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. Maria's hand rubbed the back of his neck and repeated, "I'm really sorry."

Taking her words to heart, he moved her shirt away from her shoulder and kissed where her neck connected to her shoulder. "I know you're sorry, but you don't need to apologize to me, sweetheart."

"No?"

"No, because I know it's not your fault for having a normal reaction to stress and I want to help you relax."

"What was that attitude earlier then? And I already said we're going to if you behave long enough this week." She slightly turned her head with a brow raised in question."Tell me about that."

"I was being protective of you, like I always am." Munch whispered close to her ear, feeling her shudder slightly at his touch. "C'mon, Maria. Let me help you relax." He moved his hands from her waist to her shoulders, slowly working the tension there to her shoulder blades. Feeling them relax and hearing her sigh softly, John took the chance to slowly lay her down on the bed and focused on her slow breaths each time he gradually raised her shirt.

Feeling her fingers on the back of his neck, he looked up to see her softly smiling behind her emotionally tired eyes. "I promise for tomorrow evening, we can do it in the shower, okay?" He nodded, lowering his head and gently kissed a scar on her stomach. "For now, I just want to lay here and you can keep doing what you're doing, baby."

"You don't mind?"

"No, not right now. It's comforting to me, actually." She ran her fingers threw his hair as he moved to kiss belong her right ribs. "It's going to be weird returning home, though... It already feels weird without Ace around."

Munch raised his head and moved over to look down at her, a curious expression on his face. "You mean, you'd consider getting another dog?" He watched her carefully as she sat up and rested her head against his shoulder. "Do you mean it?"

"Yeah," she started, linking their fingers together. "It wouldn't seem right to bring one into our life now, but it would be nice to have one again. The cats are great to have around, but it's not the same." Maria cuddled against him and sighed peacefully once his arm wrapped around her shoulders and caressed her cheek. "Someday, John. But for now, we have this task at hand to do and yet it still hurts."

John's fingers carefully tucked her hair behind her ear and looked down at their connected fingers. "It's going to hurt, honey. No matter how many times we've thought of this time, it's still going to." He said softly, watching the sun beginning to set. "It's almost dark, baby. Do you want to order some pizza or sit here a little longer?"

"Can we cuddle for a little longer?" She raised her head, kissing the corner of his mouth. "I'm comfortable here and I feel safe from my pain when I'm with you. I'll be honest, It really hurt coming back here to where so many had died all because of one person. I thought I wouldn't have been able to come back, but it makes it so much easier with you here." Feeling his fingers move under her chin and lift her head to look into his eyes, Maria stretched her neck out as far as she could and they kissed.

**To be continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank is my own creation. John Munch belongs to Dick Wolf and Law and Order: SVU. This chapter and fic are dedicated to my own dog, Darwin, who was put down April 24, 2010. Adult content.  
**

John peacefully slept away the early morning with Maria curled up behind him. During the night, they had gone as far of first layers being shed off after pizza had been ordered and spent the rest of the time before falling asleep cuddling. Stretching in his sleep and yawning, he felt her stirring behind him and smiled groggily when her arm draped over his waist and tightened. He knew she wasn't awake as it was her way of stretching in her sleep when he stretched.

Taking her hand and linking their fingers together, he carefully tickled up from her wrist to her shoulder. Hearing her softly chuckle against the back of his neck, he rolled onto his back and sought out her mouth to kiss. "Morning," He whispered when her eyes opened. "Today's the day, right?"

Maria sadly smiled and nuzzled her face into his neck. "Yeah... I know it needs to be done, but it doesn't get easier." Feeling his fingers stroking through her hair to help her relax, she sighed heavily against him and muttered, "Bern Sullivan might be there to gloat and remember Sharon Tindel?"

"Yeah?"

"She might show up as well." Untangling herself from his body, Frank sat up and stretched her arms over her head. "I have something else I need to tell you." She waited until he sat up beside her before continuing. "Gene has a video camera he likes to play with and, when Scott was still alive, he had filmed him from when he was a newborn to right before he passed away."

John stared at his hands before finally replying to her. "So, that means I might get to see some footage of Scott?"

"Possibly, yes. I don't know when, but if you want to see it, I can ask him." She reached over and took his hand, linking their fingers together. "I do have to warn you though - he is shockingly adorable and just like you."

John grinned from ear to ear before she slowly got up for a shower. He knew today was going to be tough for both of them, but he just couldn't help smiling at the idea of seeing his son on film. Besides looking at all the pictures she had available for him to browse, nothing made him more happy then to hear his voice and see how well Scott was taken care of. He never doubted Maria's skills as a single parent - he would love to see her parenting skills in action - but just to see his own flesh and blood? He couldn't contain his smile.

* * *

Taking a deep breath and waiting for the water to heat up, Maria stared at herself in the mirror and started to prepare herself for burying Ace. Watching as her reflection started to disappear slowly from the mist, she stepped into the shower and allowed the water to pound against her back. Running her fingers through her soaking hair, she jumped when a pair of long arms snaked around her waist. "Jesus, John. Why do you do that?"

He chuckled into her ear and reached for her shampoo. "Because I want to. Sneaking up behind you is one of my favorite hobbies."

"It's a hobby that I would love to know ahead of time." She turned so she was facing him and ran her hands up his chest as he gently washed her hair. "This evening, once everything is done, I promise we can be intimate. After today, I'm going to need physical release and I know you need a release as well."

"I'll be gentle just for you, love. I know this means a lot to you and I just want you to feel as comfortable as possible, okay?"

"Thank you," She smiled up at him and waited until he finished rinsing out her hair to wrap her arms around his neck and their lips connected. Stepping closer to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, Munch moved to softly kiss her face and ended where he knew a scar was located above her left eyebrow. "John?"

"Hm?" He looked down at her as their eyes connected and he could clearly see how much she cared and loved him. If he could, he would stare at her eyes all day.

Reaching up to cup the side of his face, she said in a soft voice, "I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met you in Baltimore. I might still be my miserable self or worse-" He cut her off when he spoke.

"Shhhhh... I'm glad I met you as well. You know how miserable I was without a hand to hold? Someone I could talk to late at night? A woman to be there for me?" He tucked a wet strand of hair behind her ear and traced his thumb over the scar on her neck. "You made my life worth it right from the start. That second I met you, I knew I wanted to win you over."

Her lips pulled back with a grin. "You did?" He nodded with a smile. "I knew there was something about you I wanted to know when we met. No other person was able to get as close to me as you did, John. You should consider that a plus." She was teasing now, her hands traveling to his waist and giving him a small wink.

He let out a ragged sigh, trying to control himself. "How about we finish our shower before I do something very naughty? It'll leave Gene wondering what's taking us so long after all."

"Hm, well. That's true."

* * *

Freshly showered, dressed and John finishing his shaving, Maria carefully removed the urn that contained Ace's ashes and placed it on the table. Running her fingers down the the front that had his name, a bittersweet smile crept onto her face and she forced herself to hold her emotions back.

The last time she had to do something like this, it had been her former K-9 partner, Alex. The black German Shepherd had been on the trail of an escaped suspect who was armed and very dangerous to the point he had killed two officers. Once released from his leash, the dog took off down the road, by-passed traffic in the early evening and quickly caught the suspect. Once she and other officers caught up with the duo, they quickly fought for the gun while she took out her cuffs Alex still gripping the man's arm. With on loud pop and a pained yelp, the fight for Alex's life began.

Six hours at the vets brought her sorrowful news and heart wrenching tears as she watched his life fade before her eyes and she gave the vet the permission to free him. Cradling his head in her lap, he was gone before the vet even administered the needle. She still had nightmares of the incident to this very day.

Continuing to stare at the urn, she hardly noticed when John pulled her into a hug and rested his chin on her head. "Hey," he whispered next to her ear, causing her to jump slightly and his arms tightened slightly around her. "Easy, baby. I didn't mean to startle you."

She shook her head slightly and placed her hand on the back of his neck. "It's fine, sweetie. I...was just thinking of something since looking at his urn reminded me of it."

"Alex?"

"Yeah. He didn't get a chance to go as peacefully as Ace did." She felt him press even closer to her in a way to comfort her. "I've accepted Alex's fate as something I have to live with and the same goes for Ace."

"Either way, it won't be easy for you?"

"No. That's why I'm hoping this can go as painless as possible."

Maria lifted her head and gave him a tight smile, saying, "Thank you," and gave him a small kiss. Hearing a knock at the door, she watched as he checked who it was, his hand not far from his weapon just in case.

Seeing it was Gene, he opened the door and allowed him to come in. Gene was dressed in a dark suit with a light gray shirt underneath with a light blue tie. Even though this was a dog they were burying, he was still a cop - no matter the species. McKern and Maria had done the same thing for Alex and they were going to do the same for Ace. Not kind words were going to mentioned, but there were no words to be said since they had already been said in their thoughts and hearts."You both ready?"

Frank cradled the urn in her arms and nodded slowly. "Yeah," She inhaled a heavy breath and released it slowly. "I just want to get this over with so we can heal."

"I understand." He nodded sadly as he held the door open for her and Munch, who grabbed his suit coat and locked the door behind them. His Glock securely at his side and the same with her's, he wasn't going to take any chances with the two people she had mentioned who were bad eggs - and one having a very aggressive dog at his side.

* * *

Pulling up the dirt driveway of the memorial field for all police dogs and horses, they stepped out of the car and walked the twenty feet to where a hole had been dug near an in-ground stone with his name and dates already engraved. "Wow," John observed it as he kneeled down. "I didn't know they did stones so early." He pushed the grass aside and saw it had Ace's image on it - his happy dog smile and all.

"It's a special request for those who want it done as soon as possible," Gene replied, his eyes watching near the wooded area of the field. "Maria, troubles comin." John stood and looked in the direction McKern was looking and saw a tall man in uniform standing between two oak trees - a large dog at his side. "Bern Sullivan is watching us."

Munch frowned and moved slightly to protect Maria from his view. "Little fucktard. She warned me about him, but seeing him in person brings on a whole new feeling, you know?"

Gene Mckern nodded sharply, turning his attention back to Maria who had moved to her knees to carefully drop the urn in. He placed his aged hand on her shoulder and squeezed when she looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. "It's going to be all right, Mar. Just take your time and we'll keep him as far away as possible, okay?" She nodded and froze when Munch made a sound.

"He's coming closer." Munch quietly warned as his body grew stiff with anger. Once Bern was ten feet from them, the man jerked the leash hard and ordered his dog to sit. The fairly large brown dog sat down, growling and bared his teeth at Munch. "This doesn't concern you, Sullivan."

"Ah, so you've heard of me, huh?" He showed a fake smile, his eyes showing how aggressive he really was. "I heard Frankie was back in town since her dog kicked the bucket and wished to pay my _deepest_ sympathy to her." He watched Maria stand up with her head low, her hand at her waist and close to her Glock. He had pushed a button. "I kinda figured that dog was killed when you were raped. That mutt had guts taking on Kevin, Frankie."

She lifted her head and something dangerous flashed in her eyes. "Gee, Bern. Guess you haven't grown up, yet you continue to play with the big boys. Don't you have a woman to fuck or did you use them all already?" He snarled at her and she flashed a dangerous smile. "Tick for tack? You strike a nerve and I'll do the same, Sullie. You should know better then fuck with me, but you haven't learned that yet." John backed down a little, knowing fully well to not get involved while she spat out her venom. Gene moved a little as well, knowing the same thing. "This _does not_ concern you. Take your dog and go back to the dark side of town where you came from."

"Like Hell I won't. You left without notice and it gave me a very clear idea you were involved with the murders around here." He gave a casual shrug and his hold on the leash loosened. John didn't like that and Maria instantly what he was doing. "I guess I was wrong or maybe I was right, but I'm not wrong thinking you're a whore. That brat you had? Please-" Without knowing, Bern felt a fist hit him across the jaw and he fell, Crush lunging forward to attack. Munch quickly moved away as the dog became more aggressive, his hand still on Bern to keep him down.

Knowing what was going to happen, Maria shoved the dog away with her body to keep him from attacking John. Crush fell back with a high-pitch whimper and scrambled to his feet, walking backwards with his body low to the ground - he was going to attack if he wasn't called off. "Bern, call off the dog before I kill him!" Frank demanded with her hand on her weapon, ready to pull it out if the dog came too close. Sullivan, who was being pinned down to the ground by an extremely dangerous John Munch, gasped for air from the amount of weight on his chest. "I'm going to say it one more time - call off the dog!"

John loosened his hold of Bern just enough for him to gasp out, "Down, Crush," the large dog moved away with his body still close to the ground. Not knowing if he was going to ignore his partner's orders, Maria moved close to John with her hands gripping her Glock, eyes following the dog's every move.

McKern, who stayed away from the small fight, had whipped out his phone and called in the director of the K-9 facilities. Demanding for her to come down and take control of the situation, he watched the two work as one - Munch pinning Bern down with his knee and hand on his Glock while Maria watched his back with the circling dog watching them. Gene knew Crush was going to ignore the order and was getting ready to attack again - but when? He didn't know, but he was ready to help if they needed it. "I called Terri and she's coming down to take control of this situation, Maria. Just hang tight for a few more minutes."

"Yeah, sure. Like I have that time, Gene." Her voice was calm as she watched the large dog stop his circling and he snarled again. _Shit!_ She knew what he was doing and she didn't like it. _He used a code word! _She gripped her weapon and was ready to shoot if he lunged again - it was the only choice she had left. Backing up until her body came in contact with John, she did her best to protect him. Crush wanted to attack the one holding down his partner, but his eyes were set on the one who body shoved him back with all her force. He inched closer with full attack mode and she knew he was going to jump. Maria raised her weapon and aimed until -

"**_Halt_**!" Terri's voice rang out and the dog instantly fell back. Walking until he was five feet from them, he sat down obediently. The woman kneeled down to take a hold of his leash and handed it to her assistant beside her. "Take him to the car and give him some water." She instructed and the man who nodded sternly. Her pale eyes scanned the scene before her and sighed. "Bern Sullivan, this is going to put you in more hot water then you really know." She said calmly with a hint of venom in her words. "You can let go of him, Sargent."

Hearing her talking to him, John released Sullie and stood as Maria holstered her weapon. "Jesus, Terri. I didn't think you'd get here in time." Maria breathed heavily with a shake of her head. "I thought for sure I was going to kill Crush."

"Don't worry about it," She smiled warmly at Frank before turning her attention to Bern. "I want you to march to the police station and report to your captain. He already knows what you've done and will have a few choice words for you."

"_He assaulted me_!" He yelled, pointing a shaking finger at Munch, who dusted off his slacks. "He's the one who hit me first!"

"Bullshit!" Terri snapped, causing the man to cower. "Gene already told me what happened and how your hold of Crush's leash loosened before it happened." She hissed out, "You were going to release that dog on them, weren't you?" Bern frowned, but said nothing. "I thought so. Get your ass to your Captain's office. Now and give me your weapon."

He pulled his Glock out and roughly handed it to the director and walked away. Once he was out of sight, Maria sat on the ground and waited until her hands stopped shaking. "Jesus H. Christ. This is _not_ what I wanted today." She felt John walk behind her and she leaned against his legs. "I had a feeling he was going to show up, but for that to happen? He's desperate for a fight."

"He always is, but this is going to get him fired with a serious fine." Terri nodded as she looked them over and noticed John was nursing his hand. "Are you all right? Crush didn't get you, did he?"

John shook his head and flexed his fingers slowly, feeling a slight burn each time. "I hit him hard enough to make it hurt, though." He looked up at Terri and asked, "How did you know I'm a Sargent?"

"Gene told me over the phone and warned me what was going on. Don't worry about what you did, either. He's already in enough trouble coming here while Maria was trying to bury Ace." He tilted his head slightly with a confused look. "Bern's known to cause trouble and then blame someone else when they strike. His most known move is loosening his hold of Crunch's leash. If you hadn't struck him when you did, he would have released that dog and we would have a serious problem on our hands."

Maria stood back up with her head shaking. "I just want to bury Ace and hide in our hotel room for the rest of the day. Is that so much to ask?"

"Only when it comes to Bern, it is." Terri placed her hand on her shoulder and gave her a sad smile before heading back to her car.

"What's going to happen with Crush?" Frank asked as she kneeled down where she had placed the urn.

"We'll see what we can do for him. I don't know if he had be retrained and placed with another partner, but we'll see."

* * *

One hour later, John unlocked the door to their room and allowed Maria to enter first before closing the door behind him. Hearing a sound, he turned to see she had fallen face-first onto the bed and he carefully joined her. After today, they both wanted to hide from the world and just be together. Placing his hand on her back and resting his head against her lower back, he listened to her inhale a breath and slowly release it. "Let's forget the shower."

"Hm?" He raised his head and watched her sit up a little.

"About us being intimate? Let's forget the shower and just make love here." She rolled over until she was on her back and stared up at him, watching as he moved to hover over her. "Please?"

His answer was to dip his head and kiss her gently, his tongue brushing against her bottom lip. Hearing her heavily sigh against his lips, Munch pulled back just enough to remove their glasses and gently undo the buttons of her shirt. Seeing her smile softly when his fingers brushed against her skin, he kissed her neck and her arms wrapped around his back. Hearing her starting to breath heavier, he switched side and nipped below her ear, making her squirm under him.

Chuckling softly, he sat back up and removed his shirt and his undershirt before helping Maria out of her's. Standing back up, he watched her face as he pulled her shoes off, socks and undid her belt. He slowly began to undress her with a soft smile on his lips. He had promised her would be gentle and that's what he was going to do to hold up his promise. If she wanted it a little more rougher, she would tell him. Slipping out of his clothes and reaching into his suitcase, he pulled out his faithful box of Trojans and set them on the bed. He first had to unclasp her bra before he would go any further. Leaning forward and reaching around her, he whispered soft words into her ear and she grinned with a laugh. To them, there was nothing better then a good laugh during their intimate moments.

Gently laying her back down and moving to hover over her, he closed his eyes as her hands traveled over his chest, stomach, sides and hips. John sighed when her lips pressed against his neck and her arms wrapped securely around him when he moved his head and kissed her deeply. Pulling away, he traveled down her body, leaving behind a trail of kisses, licks and nips until he was past her navel. Hearing her sharply inhale a gasp, he knew it wasn't best to get to his target since it would drive her too close to the end and by that time, she would be spent.

He moved back up and kissed her sternum and she sighed, bucking up when a hand brushed against a breast. "Please, John." She whimpered softly, inhaling a sharp breath when his mouth enclosed over a breast. Grasping fistfuls of sheets, Maria couldn't stand it much longer and moved her leg just enough to brush up against his erection. Groaning deep in his throat, he slowly released his hold of her breast and reached for the box. Her face was beginning to flush and her eyes had dilated - she couldn't take it much longer and needed him.

John sat up on his knees and, their eyes gazing into each other's eyes, he eased the protection on. Pressing his hips against her's, he couldn't help smiling when she squirmed in slight frustration. Even when making love, he took great joy teasing her when he was in control and she secretly loved it, no matter how frustrated she became with him. Feeling her short nails digging into his backside, John eased up a little on his knees and slowly entered her. Kissing her with a deep passion, he began to slowly thrust. Lowering his hips down just enough to keep them both comfortable, he wrapped an arm around her and held her closer when her arms wrapped around his back.

Groaning together, she pressed her face into his neck and allowed her thoughts to go blank and the pain from earlier to cease. Holding him closer to her, she bit down on her bottom lip as his teeth grazed her collar bone and whispered her name hotly. As their relationship grew years ago, he had taken on a bad habit of nipping her or lightly biting her shoulders, neck, chest, sides and legs when they went a little rougher. He had _yet_ to leave marks behind and it made them both happy.

Hearing and feeling his breathing getting heavier, Maria wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him deeply. He pushed himself up on his hands and squeezed his eyes shut. John was trying so hard to hold on just a little longer for her and groaned deep his throat as he struggled. "Oh, God. Oh, Maria," He hissed out when her mouth enclosed over his left nipple, her hands pulling him back down a little. Once she released him, his hand dipped down between them and gently caressed his target for a second.

She loudly gasped out and threw her head back, allowing John access to her neck. Digging her nails into his side, Frank could feel her climax coming closer and, from his heavy breathing, Munch wasn't too far behind. Opening her eyes slowly, Maria reached up, placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled down for a kiss just as they climaxed together.

Body trembling and struggling to stay up, John bowed his head and slowed his breathing. A gentle kiss on his parted lips brought him back down to earth and he opened his eyes to see her smiling. Maria gently pulled him down and held him close until his body stopped trembling. Chuckling when he pressed his face into her neck, she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his shoulder when he said, "I love, Maria."

"And I love you, John," She whispered gently as they held each other close. Once John's breathing had steadied, he carefully lifted himself up, gave Maria one last passionate kiss and headed to the bathroom. Hearing the water running from the lit room, she sat up and stretched. Nothing better then them making love together, but the muscles that had been used did need to be stretched or she would be uncomfortable in the morning. Smiling contently to herself, she waited until John returned and they cuddled up together under the covers.

**To be continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank is my own. John Munch belongs to Law & Order: SVU. **

The next morning, Maria sat at the small desk table with a cup of hot tea in her hands and watched John continue to sleep. She had opened the newspaper she had grabbed for the front desk of the hotel, but her eyes were watching him only - she couldn't help not watching him sleep. From the time they started 'dating' together in Baltimore, she always watched him sleep since it memorized her to no end. John always looked so young as he slept as his facial muscles relaxed more then they did when he was at work and she loved listening to his soft snoring.

Taking a sip and looking at the clock, it was time to wake her sleeping beast. She would considering him her sleeping beauty, but Munch has said one evening that the name had been taken - he called her that when she was out like a light. Walking over to sit down beside him, Frank ran her fingers through his hair and softly kissed his lips. "C'mon, John. It's almost nine in the morning, baby." He stirred slightly and rolled on the side away from her. _Either he's awake and ignoring me or he is really out like a light, _she thought with a smile. Leaning over his shoulder and moving the comforter just enough to see his face, she clearly saw he was trying not to smile. "I thought so...," She muttered, pressing her lips to his temple. "Are you just humoring me?"

"Uh-huh," He replied groggily, keeping his eyes closed and pulled the blanket from her hands, tucking it closer to his face. "Thirty more minutes?"

Patting his shoulder and grinning, Maria nodded and answered, "Okay, thirty more minutes." Tucking the comforter tighter around his body, she walked back over to her paper and flipped through the pages as quietly as she could to not wake him. Barely two minutes after she had sat down, the sound of soft snoring reached her ears and she could only shake her head. _Amazing. Only two minutes and he's out like a light. I takes me close to an hour or more to fall asleep, but nooooo, _She thought to herself and crossed her her right leg over her left, digging in deep with one article.

Moments later and almost finishing the fifth article, Maria glanced at her watch - it was time to get him up. "All right, you," She leaned over and kissed his cheek, smiling when he groaned and tried to pull the comforter over his head. "I don't think so, John. You got your thirty minutes and it's time to get up." John still didn't budge. "If you get up, I'll flash you," She whispered softly near his ear. Giggling to herself, his eyes snapped open and shifted them to look at her. "I'm being honest with that offer."

"Before or after I get up?" He mumbled, having not moved an inch.

She knew what he was playing at and grinned. "After, pal. I know your tricks when it comes to something like this." Groaning, John slowly began to move to sit up and turned to look at her with an exhausted expression. "I know it feels like you only slept for a few hours, but once you get some hot tea and breakfast in you, you'll feel awake like a morning dove." Inhaling a deep breath and yawning, he still didn't move from his spot. "I'm going to warm up the shower for you. Once it's warmed up, you had better be up."

He looked up at and, seeing she was smiling at him, gave a sleepy smile at her. "Can I have a little bit of flashing?" He held up his thumb and index finger - with an inch of space between them. "I'm sitting up at least, Mar... Just a peek?"

"Oh, I don't think so, sparky." Maria chuckled as she walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower - holding her hand under the water until it was the right temperature. "You'll get to see the twins once you have showered." Munch groaned softly, but still didn't move. He was normally very good at getting up with or without her asking him to, but he had moments when he wanted to be stubborn like a mule. In the past, Maria had bribed him with fresh coffee, morning sex, a decent breakfast, various little treats for him to snack on during the day, and anything he wanted during their intimate nights just to get him moving. Her last throw is now flashing him and that got him as far as sitting up and he had asked for a peek.

Course, since they weren't working for the week, she figured his stubbornness would have shown up sooner or later. Once the water was hot enough and the room was filling up with steam, she crooked her finger and beckoned him to get him and get in. Sighing, John slowly got up and trudged into the bathroom. Stopping in front of her, he kissed her softly on the lips and she smiled up at him. "Sorry I'm being a pain," He apologized quietly, his fingers brushing against her neck.

"I know you have your stubborn days when you just don't want to move and I understand that completely - you know I have those days, too." She held the shower curtain open and he stepped in while she kept talking. "I'm not frustrated with you since this isn't the first time you've acted like this. I actually find it kinda funny actually that you act like a kid sometimes." She sat down on the closed toilet seat and crossed her right leg over her left. "I never mentioned to you that Scott acted like that, now did I?"

"No, I don't think you ever did actually." He spoke up from the shower and he sounded more awake.

"Yeah," She drew the word out and sighed. "Even though he was just a toddler and it's expected of them to be stubborn when getting up, he would double that amount of stubbornness when he didn't want up. He ended up going to day care out cold in my arms since he didn't want up at all." She chuckled to herself and crossed her arms across her arms. The more she stared at the tiling on the floor, the more her smile disappeared. Only during right moments, she was been able to talk about the little boy without her emotions rocking sideways and spilling over. John knew fully well she was never going to get over loosing him in her arms due to her not catching his pneumonia in time and he never took it personally when she grieved her lose and didn't want him around.

Peering around the shower curtain since it was so quiet, John saw she was still sitting there and staring at the floor. Her arms were crossed firmly across her chest and her right leg was crossed over her left. Showing a tight smile, he finished his shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel. Touching her shoulder with his wet fingers, he snapped her out of her trance and sadly smiled down at her. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking of him and got lost in my thoughts for a moment there." She smiled up at him and watched him dry himself off before wrapping the towel around his waist. "The hotel dining area have a decent continental breakfast we can tackle if you would like."

Humming in approval, Munch walked out of the bathroom and picked through his clothes and asked, "Do they have decent bagels and coffee?"

"They are wonderful and the bagels are very soft, even when toasted." She happily said, knowing once he got food in his system, he would perk up more and move away from being his stubborn self. "The coffee is just the way you like it, too - strong, black and will give you the energy you need for the day."

John smiled and playfully tugged where he knew where her bra straps were. "Sooo, how about that little promise you made about flashing me?" With a small sigh and stepping back a little, Maria giggled as she flashed him and he sighed at his view with a silly smile. "They are just beautiful."

He kept his hands away like a good boy, but Maria could see he was struggling to behave."I can tell you're trying not to be a good boy, but maybe you can feel up for later, huh?" She grinned as she rearranged her bra and shirt. "C'mon, let's go get some breakfast and then McKern wants to show you something."

* * *

"What is it you want to show me again?" John asked as he and Maria sat down next to McKern's desk.

Gene popped a video recorder tape into the VCR and turned on the television. "Well, after Maria had Scott, I started video recording him since...well...I loved that boy the second he was born. Since you didn't know she had him, we both thought it was a good idea to show you how he talked, walked and behaved." He sat down beside John and clicked 'play' on the remote...

_The camera swerved around and a voice came from the background saying, "Hey, now where does he think he's going to go?" _

_Maria came into view with a sarcastic smile and hands on her hips. Down by her feet was a young toddler on his hands and kneels and trying to get a grasp of her jeans with one hand."He's trying to walk, Gene. He's been trying to walk for the past week and he almost got the hang of it." She bent down and swooped the boy up in her arms, who happily giggled and legs flailing. "Isn't that right, Scott. Trying to get your ground legs, huh?" _

_The toddler clapped his hands and looked at the camera, which had moved to get a side view of them. With full interest in it, he reached out with one grabby hand and cooed to himself when he touched it. "Someone likes the camera better then you, Maria! How old is he now?"_

_"About twelve months at this point and learning to walk. He's talking in his own words at the moment, but walking seems to be his big milestone at the moment." Maria plopped the boy back down on the ground and walked away a few feet. Turning and kneeling down, she held out her hands and called him to her. "C'mon Scott. You can do it, sweetie." The toddler moved into his hands and knees and was ready to crawl towards her until she stood up and walked over. Putting her hands under his arms, she stood him up on his own feet and, holding him steady with one hand, moved away a few feet until her hand was no longer touching him. "He's been able to get on his feet without help, but I'm expecting a few troubles in this area." _

_Holding her hands back out, Maria watched with a huge grin as Scott took one small and unsteady step towards her and began to whimper softly. "It's okay, Scott. Mommy's right here," She called out softly and his whimpering eased slightly. "C'mon, baby." Taking a few more unsteady steps, he looked down at his feet as he slowly began to learn to walk and cooed again. Laughing, Maria picked him up and tossed him in the air, causing Scott to shriek happily to himself. "Good boy!"_

_"Well, that was very impressive! I can't believe at how fast he's grown, Mar."_

_"I can't either. He looks so much like his father, I'm really not surprised." A grabby hand reached up and pulled at a strand of dark hair and she cringed. "I just wish he wouldn't do that, though." She undid his fist and tucked the hair behind her ear. "Frankly, I think it's time for sport here to take a nap." She looked back up at the camera and smiled, saying, "Are you going to want to film him sleep too, Gene?"_

_"I probably won't, but that doesn't sound like a bad idea!" The voice laughed and the screen went black. _

Maria Frank sadly smiled to herself and softly said, "I had forgotten you had filmed him taking his first steps."

"I did, too, for a while there." He turned his head and looked at John beside him, who was sadly staring at the floor. "That's your boy, John. If you're not too disturbed about seeing these, I do have more, but that is if you want to see them."

"No, it's okay," John's voice was tight and felt Maria grip his hand - her fingers weaving with his. "I want to see them." Nodding his head, McKern stood up and opened a drawer from his desk.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank is my own creation and Gene McKern hovers around a little, I guess. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU. For some silly reason, adult content tripped on in this chapter. Yep, that's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it!  
**

Several hours later, John and Maria stood outside on the roof of the department and took in the wonderful breeze. After finishing watching the videos, he was deeply saddened to know Scott was gone from the world and needed some air - with Maria in tow. Once they reached the roof door, he allowed his tears to fall silently for the son he didn't know. Feeling a warm hand slip into his, he turned his head to see his closest personal friend and lover with a sad smile on her face. "It's okay to cry, John."

"Why aren't you?" He asked softly as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"John, I have been crying for that boy for a long time. I've gotten to the point where I don't cry on the outside very much, unless I really need to." She reached a hand up and gently touched his face, sadly smiling up at him. "You never knew him, but you respected my personal space when I needed it to mourn the loss of the boy I gave birth to, breast fed, raised and took care of for almost five years."

He lowered his eyes and his shoulders slumped. "If only I had known about him, I would have been able to help you both when you needed it." Maria shook her head sadly and looked in the opposite direction. "Why didn't you tell me about him?"

"I was scared, John." Looking up at him, her eyes showed the pain she had held for so long after he passed away. "I didn't know about your thoughts on having children even though you were and are great with kids that come with a case." She closed her eyes for a moment and repeated, "I just didn't know." John wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him. At that moment, nothing was more important then them holding each other during a tough time of their life. Closing her eyes and pressing her ear against his heart, she listened to the even and rhythmic beat that was almost hypnotizing to her.

It reminded Maria she still had him and he still had her. That's all that mattered.

* * *

Sitting on a bench on the deck outside of their room, John observed passer-byes during a quiet moment of the day. Once they returned to the inn, all he wanted to do was spend most of their day sitting in silence with his thoughts and a cup of hot tea in his hands. Beside him, Maria sat with a book in her hands with her right leg draped over her left. Dark eyes gazing over the scenery, he wrapped his arm over her shoulder and scooted closer to her as a silent 'I love you' to Frank.

Smiling to herself at his silent gesture, she rested her head against his shoulder and turned a page of her book. She knew, when he went into his silent moments, to not say anything until he wanted her to. Moving even closer to him until their legs touched, she marked her page by folding a corner of the page and closed her eyes, her face inches from his neck. Turning his head enough to see she had closed her eyes and probably hoping for some sleep at that moment, John sadly smiled and shifted her just enough to have her sitting on his lap with her head resting against his shoulder. It was something they did after her assault to help her feel comfortable and secure with the new surrounding that's scared her after she left the hospital.

It wasn't long until John realized the bench wasn't that comfortable with a woman on his lap and, with one hoist to his feet, carried her into the room and carefully placed her on the bed. Placing her book on the table in the corner, he removed her shoes and glasses before removing his as well. Hearing her stirring from being moved, he sat down beside her and held her close until she settled down with her head against his shoulder. "Why'd you come in?" She asked softly with her arm dragged over his stomach lazily.

"Holding you on my lap wasn't all that comfortable on the bench," He explained as he held her close. "Know what I want to do right now?"

"What?"

"Both of us in the tub together and just spending the quiet time together." He brought up on of Maria's favorite things to do with him and could practically feel her smile against him. "What do you think?"

Frank sat up and touched his cheek softly. "All we'll be missing is the candles."

"We can adjust to not having those." He teased playfully and left to fill the bathtub with very warm water. Once it was done, he called her in and they undressed each other before he got in first. Once he was comfortable, he held his hand out for her and she settled comfortably between his legs and leaned back against his body. Wrapping his arms around her, John rested his chin on her shoulder. Truth be told, they were both homesick and tired from the week's events. It didn't sound like a bad idea to go home earlier then expected so they could spend some alone time together in their apartments where they felt more comfortable.

It wasn't long before John drifted off with his chin her shoulder, his soft snoring in her ear like a hypnotizing sound. Placing her hand on the back of his neck, Maria turned her head just enough to kiss his temple and carefully leaned back until his back was against the wall. Closing her eyes, she linked her fingers with his and allowed her dreams to wonder off for a few moments.

* * *

The next morning...

"Can we go home early?" John asked over breakfast of eggs and toast. He didn't say it, but he was homesick for his home, her home and their beds. During the night, he hugged her close to his body in his sleep when a train went by. It was one of the things he wasn't used to hearing at night and he had unconsciously held her close.

Looking up from the paper she was reading, she tilted her head a little to look at him and saw he was looking a little home sick. "Sure, of course we can. Homesick?" He nodded in responds. "Well, I gotta agree with you there, sweetie. I want to go home, too. Seeing some unfriendly familiar faces isn't helping me much." Reaching across the small table and taking his hand, she said, "Thank you for coming with me."

"You're welcome." He sadly smiled and squeezed her fingers. "How about when we get back to our room, we can spend some personal time together?"

"We have been spending personal time together." She said, slightly confused at what he was saying.

"No, I mean...some very personal time together. You and me in the shower together and..." He left the ending of the conversation open to her imagination. She smiled with a hint of sly sexiness in it, telling him she figured it out. They finished their breakfast quickly and headed back up to their room, locking it behind them.

Having done sex in the shower before, John had learned for the need of lubrication for himself in case to prevent tearing of his protection. Hearing her turning the shower on, he reached into his bag and pulled out the Trojans and a bottle of lubrication for himself. Smiling to himself, he headed to the bathroom and closed the door behind him and reached for Maria. Kissing her deeply, Munch undressed her as she undressed him as fast as he did.

Soon surrounded by steam from the shower, they stepped into the pounding hot water and began to kiss passionately. Blocking her against the wall with his hands on either side of her, he kept her blocked from the water as it pounded against his back. Moving to her neck and nibbling her flesh, Maria gasped and gripped his waist with her hands, keeping him as close to her as possible.

Trailing his lips down her neck to her chest, John grinned to himself when she inhaled a sharp breath at the feel of his hands and lips around her breasts. They were beautiful things he never wanted to take his hands away or stop staring at if he had that chance to. Hearing her breathing becoming even heavily as the seconds went by, he reached out for the protection and lubrication and, keeping his back to the water, smoothed on the protection. Closing his eyes when Maria's fingers wrapped around his organ, he groaned when she smoothed the lubrication generously on him.

Capturing her lips under his, he thrust into her and kept her pinned against the wall as they made love. Through the steam of the hot water, Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as he placed a hand under her right leg and lifted it just enough to wrap around his left to give him more depth to thrust into. Gasping when he stepped closer to provide more pleasure for them both, Frank tightened her arms around him and pressed her face into his neck. His heavy breathing next to her ear only heightened her excitement and love for him.

The quicker Munch moved, the more their hands roamed over their bodies in the steam. His hands were pressed against the wall of the shower, keeping her positioned where he wanted her. Maria's hands gripped his backside to motion him to move as much as possible the closer they came to climaxing together. Kissing her deeply and passionately, John grunted as he climaxed at the same time Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and her body tensed up as she climaxed.

Both trembling and gasping for breath, they rested their heads on each other's shoulders until they calmed. "I love you, Maria," John said softly, gently kissing her neck. Straightening, he smiled down at her and tucked a dark, wet strain of hair behind her ear.

"I love you too, John," Maria replied back with a smile. Reaching for a wash cloth, she kept eye contact with him as she removed the protection and dropped it into the trashcan right outside the shower. Kissing him gently, she washed him clean and then motioned for him to turn around so she could scrub his back.

Showering together did turn into a game for them, but making love in the shower only made it more enjoyable to wash each other. Taking the wash cloth from her hands and lathering it up with soap, he motioned for her to turn around so he could scrub her back in return. "Think we can go home tomorrow afternoon?" He asked after a while of silent scrubbing.

"Sure," Maria answered, closing her eyes for a moment when he moved to scrub the middle of her back. There was just something about him scrubbing her back and being extremely close to her that just made her excitement rise up again. Inhaling a long breath when his lips made contact with her neck, she bit her lip and grinned when he kissed her shoulder. "You know, starting us back up is only going to slow us down in here. We'll come out of the shower looking like raisins."

"You will be one sexy raisin," Munch grinned, his hands traveling down her sides after placing the washcloth on the hook. "I think I like you in this position, to be honest."

She playfully pushed against him in resistance and he groaned next to her ear. "Oh? I bet you do, big boy." John chuckled and turned her right around to kiss her deeply. "Know how much I want to be home right now?" She asked hotly, taking in a deep breath as he kissed and nibbled her collar bone.

"I can feel it, actually." John grinned and touched her face as he kissed her again. "How about we finish getting showered and move this to some place more comfortable?"

"Sounds like a fantastic plan to me," Maria sighed and reached for his shampoo.

**to be continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Maria Frank is my own creation. Gene McKern is a character named specifically as Maria's former Captain. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU.**

Stretching in his sleep and hearing the sound of suitcases being zipped up, John Munch rolled over and sat up. "Mar? What time is it?" He asked groggily, slowly moving to get up and sat back down on the bed. He was still too exhausted and sore to move.

Most of their evening the night before consisted of using protection, breaking into the sandwich bags for tea and water, sharing a doughnut John had picked up earlier in the day and more protection use. They were both sore and exhausted beyond words once they were finally finished. Last thing he really wanted to do was get up and move around to help with the packing. "Almost eight. I didn't want to wake you up since you were in a very deep sleep, but now that you're awake," She tossed him a towel. "Might as well take your shower and then help finish packing." Maria winked at him as he gave a look and placed some clothes for him on a chair.

Slowly sitting up and stretching, Munch waited a few minutes before standing up and taking the towel. Giving Maria a look, he walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower as hot as he could stand. Since it appeared Maria had already taken her shower - how he loathed he wasn't there to 'help' her - he had to depend on the pounding water to take some of the soreness from his back and joints.

After standing under the water for ten minutes, John finally decided he had to get washed to help her finish with the packing. Ten more minutes later, he got out and towel dried himself off first before wrapping the towel around his waist. Once he opened the door and walked out, he observed her sitting on the bed with the finished luggage beside the door, a cocky smile on her face. "Well, I can see you don't need my help any more." He mumbled, sour he didn't finish in time to help her back their stuff.

Watching him walk over to the chair to grab his clothes, Maria reached out for him to sit down beside her. Quickly turning his head to face her, She kissed him deeply and said softly, "I got us backed up quickly so I can give you a massage before Gene arrives."

"Really?" He tilted his head a little, feeling her fingers caress his cheek and neck lovingly. She nodded and motioned for him to lay down on his stomach on the bed, taking the towel from his as he moved. "But your massaging oil is at home?" He noticed, hands under his head and closing his eyes when her fingers softly touched his bare back.

She bent down and kissed the back of his neck. "Don't worry about that. I have my hand lotion and it'll work just fine for us." She smiled when she really thought she heard him purr from her touches and continued to kiss his skin softly until she reached the center of his back. "Just relax, okay? It's going to be a few hours before Gene arrives, so I'm going to do this as well as I can." When Maria usually gave him massages, she would work on him for three hours just to get every muscle, joint and tendon in his body - front and back. From his fingers to his toes.

"I'll try," He mumbled, keeping his eyes closed.

Reaching for her hand lotion, she rubbed it in her hands to warm up and began to work on his shoulders firmly. Softly humming to herself, Maria Frank worked the muscles in his back firmly, slowly working her way down to his backside, where she placed more lotion on her hands and rubbed her hands together again. Knowing his thighs were hurting, she carefully worked her hands over the curves of his hips and thighs to get the tiniest tenderness and soreness he felt.

Reaching her hand down between his legs to firmly massage his left thigh, she grinned when he softly groaned and flinched when she hit the right muscle. "I'm going to guess this is one of the sore muscles then?" He nodded and heavily sighed in content. "Any place in particular you'd like me work over?" She asked, knowing he would say where he wanted her to touch and where not to.

"Hm...my backside muscles hurt - if that's hard to believe." He muttered, opening one eye to glance at her.

Maria smiled and moved to kiss his temple. "Of course they're sore. You used muscles in there, too." She released his thigh gently and placed her hands on his backside, working them over. Moving to straddle his legs to give her more space to work on, she continued to work on his backside until he groaned happily. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you." Opening his eyes, John noticed she had worked him over for an hour and he was starting to finally feel better. "Maybe once we get home, you can work on my front." He moved to sit up and pulled her close to hug, kissing her gently. "I love you so much."

Maria giggled, tracing his jawline with her fingers. "I love you, too." They spent a few minutes gazing at each other and they could both see they missed being home. Missed being where they were most comfortable. "I promise, when we get home, I'll give you a more acceptable massage."

"What are you talking about? This one was acceptable. I feel better then I did before."

"I know, but I still like to have at least three hours to work you over and get every muscle that is causing you trouble."

John grinned and kissed her forehead. "Well, once you get me done, I'll take care of you. How about that?" She nodded and hugged him tightly. "I'm going to get dressed and we can hug some more, okay?"

Softly laughing, Maria watched him get up and pick up his clothes. She knew he wanted to get dressed in case he felt an urge to get intimate with her from how close they were. A few minutes later, he was working his belt through the loops and watched Maria glance outside as a dog walked by. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I'm just," She paused for a moment. "I guess I just miss having a dog. Ace has been gone for a week and I already miss my routine; wake up early, take him out for a walk, feed him breakfast, play with him for a few hours. I just miss it so much."

John walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Would you like another dog?"

"Yeah, but it's going to have to wait until I feel ready. I need time to grieve more then anything. I have cried for Ace, but I probably haven't cried enough for him to accept another canine in my life." He nodded in agreement and held her close to his body, fully understanding. "Hey, how about we get outside and hand in our key before Gene arrives." She quickly changed the subject around before he asked anything and pulled away from him.

John Munch watched her pull on her light coat due to the light rain outside and grab for her bag. Sighing slowly and placing his hands on his hips, he knew she was holding it in to protect herself from showing emotions. Growing up, she held in her emotions while her parents had their daily fights about her father's supposed affair which was really true. If she showed any emotions during their fights, her father would have yelled at her.

That fear still hung close to her no matter how hard she tried to shove it away, even with John near her. Loosing Ace kept that fear right in front of her. Somehow, John was going to have to get her to cry.

Somehow.

**End!**

**Yeah, that's how I'll end it. It just felt right to end it there. **


End file.
